Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats TOP GUN SMITHS IN US

Yup, I'd say theres at least a couple of hundred smithys that can crank out a 3000.00 shooter. Name has lots to do with it.
I know a guy here who works at Ford, and engraves with the best in the world. I have really not seen much better.
If you want to be the "best" you need to join the various guilds and promote yourself as such.
Those names mentioned understand promotion and the value of marketing. Then, theres guys like Dave who simply are just a flawless craftsman with little interest in doing anything but a coule of guns a year.
I saw a woman checkering at a gun show (not anybody I've heard of) and she was fast and flawless. She was finishing up a Super Grade Win stock and I was in aw. Really excellent layout, symetry.
I asked how much and was told "oh, about 400 bucks. Not a bad price for that much fineline wraparound. I asked how long.
Mmmm, she said, we're getting ready to go to Orlando with the grandkids. I think I may be able to take it on later this summer..wth?? She said she just did a few here and there. Again. They're out there, craftsman in hiding LOL

I wonder how many top smiths sub out certain tasks to specialists, like the checkering you mentioned?

I suppose you must set parameters? Stocks only?
Checkering of stocks only? Metalwork only? Engraving?

Big names charge big money.

There are only a few who can do it all. Some guys who could
be be called a one man show, often do work equal to, or
better than, the big boys.

Here's one:

http://www.eddelorge.com/

There are the super craftsaman listed and their shops but in some cases, some shops, they may do little if any of the work. True, I imagine they don't let anything leave without giving the OK but I've seen a thing or two leave a shop, one of which is listed here, which could have been done better. And that can happen anywhere.

George

Ditto, George. I've seen the same thing happen. If the "master's" name is on it, everything that leaves the shop should be up to his personal standard of quality. Sadly, that's not always the case. A lot of fine craftsmen are simply not good business or people managers.

Paul

This is a loaded question.It all depends upon what you are looking for,I guess that is quality as defined by the user.
Speedy posted a few pictures on www.benchrest.com of two bench guns that were engraved. When you think about it makes sense.

Then you have Martini & Hagn-now is there any difference betwen the two?
Glenn

Blaine, did you mean Bill Shehane??

Based on how this thread is going ... I would imagine I'm not the only one that thinks it would be a great idea to assemble this list into a sticky where each smith is listed, along with their location and other contact info ... and if applicable, a small note on what they do best. I'm positive there are a lot of people that are unaware that there might just be one of these fine smiths near them to do work they need done...

I guess it would kinda be the "good guy list" of gunsmiths... just a thought...

Since they haven't been mentioned yet (and they fully deserve to be)...George Gardner and the guys at GA Precision.

Maintaining a list of smiths along with their specialties and locations is a great idea.

Yup. I just fixed his name.

However, none of thse gunsmiths will be able to compete with me when I finally get my own lathe. Many competition shooters already do their own smithing. I have no interest in doing work for anyone else, but I finally be able to get things exactly how I want with no one to blame but myself if it doesn't turn out right.

I recently assembled and did an home-brew accurizing job on a 30-06 from parts I had laying around, a SS factory takeoff barrel, and a naked, boltless receiver. I headpsaced it by lapping the lugs somewhere around .003 to .004". The rifle weighs less than 8 lbs with a 40mm scope and will shoot 168 TSXs into .75 at 2950 fps--so far.

I am as excited about this rifle as I am any of my custom jobs.

Blaine ... speaking of .30-06's shooting 3/4 MOA ... that CZ550 American of mine in .30-06 is doing just that. Had the trigger tweaked and the action bedded ... I did some stock work myself to open up the bbl channel and re-seal it up so that it's floating nicely. Unfortunately I don't hand load ... yet ... so I gotta keep playing with factory loads to see how tight I can get the groups... Oh yah ... those groups are with a relatively crappy bench rest setup, and an LPS German #4 reticle, which isn't that great for iddy biddy groups, so needless to say I'm very excited to go hunting this season w/ this rifle!

and on that note, how's your .416 been acting?

ps: sorry for kinda hijacking the thread ...

I agree on Dennis Olson. He is good & he did my .375. I had the fortunate experience to handle one of Dale Storey's guns. It was a .300 H&H with a McMillan stock. I was so impressed I am going to try to get him to do me something on my p-17.

George Hoenig, Monte Mandarino, Fred Wells, Steven Dodd Hughes, James Tucker, Dave Caboth, Lon Paul -- are we naming the top 100? There is a lot of real talent out there.

WGM,

The aluminum bar recoil lug set-up is allowing the stock to handle the recoil very well. After 100 rounds, no issues there, and the barrel gets to stay free floated.

The rifle is accurate enough, I have shot some 1/2 and 5/8" groups, though I think it is going to average around 3/4 to 1 moa with the selected load. I think I will be able to settle on the 350 TSX at around 2600 fps, which is what I want.

The big issue is getting the bullets in the magaine to stop being driven .003 to .004" deeper in their cases when the gun is fired. Check my thread to "Aussie Gunwriter" in the "Ask the Gunwriters" forum.

I also need to slick up the action a bit and possibly open up the feed rails a bit. I might contract this out to one of the real experts in that area..........

Roger Ferrell in Fayetteville, GA

Not only builds quality, functional rifles. He is often the go to guy to fix the mistakes others put out...

He can really work over a factory gun too, do a search for JudgeG's CZ over on AR to see what I mean.

Mike

Did I miss it ??? What about Melvin Forbes from NULA! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I'm sure hoping Melvin is at the top, he just took a deposit from me on a model 24 in .30-06...............hhhhmmmm, now what can I sell to pay for it?????
Don

I may send a project to Mickey soon. Like Mickey there are a couple of dozen others who smith the competition winners.
When you look at match results you will see his name repeated many times along with Gre-Tan, Borden, Bryant, Baity, Tooley etc. I am thinking it could be a good idea to have one of these smiths whose work is consistently winning matches to do the metal work, then send it to Dressel or David Miller for the stock work. That is if a wooden stock is wanted?
I used to covet english walnutted beauties but the practical side of my brain started telling me hunting with it would be akin to driving a Mercedes SUV or Escalade along hunting trails with deep washouts and mesquite thorns scratching paint off the sides.
And that is how I evolved into coveting Swirlys or RickBins spider web paint jobs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Fred Wells of Prescott, AZ.

As good as the best an then some.